Tony's Time Out
by Dixie Dewdrop
Summary: Tony and Abby are seeking a bit of entertainment, so Tony describes the first couple of times he stayed with his Boss. This is part of my Here and Now series.
1. Punishment

Punishment

"That's it!" Gibbs strode purposefully into the living room, yanked the remote control from Abby's hand, and clicked off the television.

Wails of protest followed from both Abby and Tony, but he held his hand up as a signal for them to get quiet.

They did, watching him with pleading, remorseful eyes.

Swallowing, Gibbs addressed Tony, "Did I or did I not tell you that you two would lose the television for the night if you didn't stop fighting over the shows to watch?"

Tony stammered reluctantly, "Yes, you did say that, Boss, but..."

Jethro cut off any further words. "I also alerted you two that this would happen more than an hour ago if you continued to fight. Is that not correct?"

This time, his steely blue gaze targeted Abby, who had followed the loss of the remote by squirming unhappily on the sofa.

She twirled a pigtail and replied appealingly, "We didn't know you were serious, though Gibbs, when you said that. We would have stopped fussing at each other if you had simply made that clear."

"What was that, Abbs?" Gibbs shook his head at her reasoning. "Why would you- by any stretch of the imagination- think that what I threatened should be taken as a joke and dismissed by you and Tony?"

Tony, thinking there might be an opening there, seized the opportunity and added, "You didn't even count to three or anything, Boss. Therefore, Baby Girl and I had no idea that you meant business about the television. Had you conveyed that emotion, we could have responded in a manner of your liking and of your complete satisfaction."

Abby joined him, nodding enthusiastically, "So right, you never prepared us that we were driving you over the edge."

Gibbs looked from one to the other in exasperation. Despite the fact that they had no chance of seeing the television reinstated that evening, their clever arguments highlighted their ability to work together cooperatively on any occasion when they needed to do so.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and inhaled a deep breath.

"The two of you have fought and argued all day long over the most ridiculous issues in the universe. That conduct never works out well for you, and somebody always ends up getting into trouble. However, you exceeded your own personal limits tonight. So in this situation, both of you get to reap the punishment, because I have grown tired of hearing and witnessing the battles that you wage with each other."

"Gibbs, we can count this as two. Earlier when you told us to stop fussing, then that was one. Just now with the remote made two. So we deserve to get to three before you respond in an ugly way. Please, give us one more chance," Abby clasped her hands together during her plea and gave him her best expression designed to melt his resolve.

"I have already counted to three- in my head," Gibbs dismissed her and turned to leave.

Tony puffed out his lip in a pout. "Boss, that hurt."

"You'll recover. Now, I'm headed to the basement. Let me remind you that no television means no video disky movie things either."

With that he left, confident that they would obey him, no matter how much they didn't want to acquiesce.

Abby threw her head back against the sofa cushion and regarded Tony. "Hmmm... how are we going to amuse ourselves now? We can't go outside 'cause it's like a typhoon out there. Rain's just pouring. I so hoped he'd have mercy and give the remote and tv back."

Tony crossed his arms behind his head and propped his feet on the coffee table. "Boss is Boss. I learned long ago that when he puts on his daddy cloak and mulls upon a discipline issue, I will always lose- every single time."

They laughed conspiratorially together. They had managed to construct a family unit between the three of them, despite the obvious hesitation and understandable reluctance from one Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Not only did they usually stay in the House of Gibbs thirteen out of fourteen days per fortnight, but they all worked together at NCIS. They thrived with those family ties and their bond with each other.

Abby curled her legs under her and leaned forward. "Ok, confession time, Anthony-"

Tony kicked off his shoes and curled up on the sofa as well. "What deep, dark secret do you want to know, my Goth sister?"

"Tell me about the first time you ever, ever, ever stayed with Gibbs," she ordered. "Don't try to give a skimpy account, either. I want to hear delicious details."

"Actually, Baby Girl, I don't mind sharing that story in the least."

Tony settled himself and started the tale. "Once upon a time, it had been a really long, hard case, and I hadn't worked for NCIS or for Gibbs too long. I just had figured out that his bark and his bite, at least when they concerned me, always meant something unpleasant for me and to attempt to avoid them, along with making him angry, at all costs."

Abby giggled, and Tony smiled, too. He loved seeing Abby happy, and reached over to pull one of her pigtails.


	2. Reaction

Reaction

He continued, "So that first time I returned to my apartment after we wrapped up the case, completely exhausted, and found the complex had no electricity. It was cold, too, really absolutely bitterly cold, and had been snowing for most of the day. Remember the Irvin case?"

Abby nodded brightly and added, "Oh yeah, we had what amounted to a blizzard then."

"Right, so that was the case and that's the setting. As it so happened, Boss decided to stop by because I didn't answer my cell, and he had heard about the outage. He'd already called you at the convent and found everything worked there, so you were safe. Kate, Ducky, and Gerald were fine, too. I didn't answer the phone because I had left it in the car. But that's neither here nor there. He showed up at my place, saw that there was no heat and no electricity, and commanded me to get to his house within an hour with clothes to last for a few days."

Tony took a breath. "Actually, the first night went smoothly. I got the room I have now, except back then there was nothing in there but a bed. There weren't even curtains on the windows or anything. No one would venture to accuse Boss of secretly longing to earn a decorating degree."

Abby smiled. "I remember those dreary old days with the house just looking stripped. He must have just packed up everything that reminded him of Shannon and Kelly. Seeing daily reminders probably proved really painful for him. Back to your story, though, I remember the dearth of anything but the basic essentials in the early days of the House of Gibbs."

"Exactly, you know what I mean, all right. Anyway, as it turned out, he made me welcome in his terse, gruff, Marine sniper way. I tried not to annoy him too much, but the television provided the only entertainment, and with no cable then, you can imagine how bored I would get. Plus, the weather socked us in, and I couldn't go out and play at all."

It was not difficult to imagine life with a bored Tony, and Abby shook her head slowly. "Wow- the surprise is that Gibbs didn't end up killing you before you ever went back home."

"Hey, it surprised me, too! I really tried not to be a nuisance, but obviously, I failed at that. When my neighbour finally called and alerted me that the electricity had returned to the apartment, I headed home. When I told Gibbs, though, that I was leaving, do you know what he said?"

"Tell, tell!" demanded Abby, eagerness in her voice.

Tony grinned, "He set down his coffee cup and informed me that my visit had reminded him of having a preschooler underfoot, and that he had almost reached the point of spanking me."

Abby burst out laughing, and Tony joined her as they collapsed with mirth against the cushions.

Finally getting himself back in control, Tony finished, "Then he hugged me and told me that I always had a place to stay with him."

"Ok, then it ended well for you, Anthony, all in all." Abby leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Hey, but do you want to hear about the second time I stayed?" Tony looked at her questioningly, his eyebrows raised.

"I do, I do!" Abby squealed, and hugged her knees to her chest.

"If you want me to regale you with part two, otherwise known as the First Visit Sequel, we need to make some refreshments. Supper finished a long time ago, and I am hungry." Tony stood up and pulled Abby up with him.

She began rummaging in the pantry when they got to the kitchen, calling out possible goodies for their repast. They finally settled on popcorn and hot chocolate, and Abby started the microwave with a bag of their favourite popcorn brand.

Tony headed to the basement and jogged down a couple of steps until Gibbs came into view. The older man looked up questioningly from the boat and regarded Tony warily. The fact that he had not heard fighting from upstairs could prove misleading, and Tony might have appeared to tattle on Abby, or to defend himself ahead of time from future tattling by Abby.

Instead, Tony called out to him, "We're making popcorn, Boss. Want some?" Tony peeped under the railing and grinned.

"No, thanks, Son-" he smiled at his senior field agent and felt calm restore itself to his nerves.

Tony turned and made his way back just in time to grab the cups of fragrant cocoa from Abby and then carry them to the living room. She followed with an overflowing bowl of popcorn.

They arranged themselves on the cushions once again. Tony popped a handful of the buttery kernels into his mouth and continued his narration.

"The second time I sought shelter in this abode the boiler had just blown in my building. It was cold then, too, and snowing, but the snow didn't stick on the ground. Even though there was still no cable in the House of Gibbs, I could at least go outside and work off some of my energy."

Tony stopped a moment to gather his thoughts, and impatiently, Abby prodded, "Keep going!"

She poked him in the leg with her big toe to emphasize the need for him to continue post haste.

He chuckled and settled back against the sofa arm, then propped his legs in Abby's lap.

"Well nothing too traumatic transpired the first couple of days, not until that weekend. There was nothing- and I do mean nothing- in the backyard back then. Remember that it took a while before he let me get the basketball hoop out there? You were the one who made him agree to the picnic table and the outdoor furniture after that. So the closest place to play basketball back then was at that park."

Tony pointed in the general direction of the closest park, several blocks from the residence.

"We had Friday off that week, and supposedly Saturday. However, there was a witness coming into port Saturday afternoon and Boss had scheduled us to go interview him that afternoon for our current case. Thursday night I had a hot date with Cheryl Clarke, and Gibbs warned me not to stay out all night when I left. Of course I agreed, but as it turned out, he and I had different interpretations of the translation of all night."

He stopped and spent a couple of minutes sipping the hot chocolate, which had finally cooled enough for them to enjoy.

Abby used the break to run to the bathroom. Returning, she flopped down on the sofa and predicted, "I bet you stayed out too late and Gibbs blew a gasket."

"Something like that," Tony acknowledged. "I got home at four, and he tore me out of the frame. He fussed and yelled so long that I thought he would go hoarse. When he finally finished I felt like a little kid. After the verbal lashing, I was so reticent to bring on more trouble that I didn't even leave the house all Friday, and knocked myself out doing chores, trying to get myself into his good graces. So Saturday found me just chomping at the bit to go play."

The sound of Gibbs coming up the basement steps had both of them scrambling to get their feet off of the coffee table before he saw. When he peeped in on them, both were quietly munching popcorn, and the parent side of him relished the view of the two sitting peacefully together, not quarrelling whatsoever. He couldn't help the look of pride that the scene evoked for him.


	3. Acceptance

Acceptance

Tony waited until he heard Gibbs head back down the basement steps before he resumed his narrative. "So I harnessed some courage and told Boss that I wanted to go shoot hoops at the park. He reminded me about getting home so we could make the interview and I told him I would get back in time to change and hit the road. When I got to the park, though, some other guys wandered over and we started an intense pick up game. Then we played another, and another after that one. When I remembered to check the time, it was three thirty."

Abby covered her mouth with her hand, eyes wide. "You were supposed to be back by lunch, right?"

"Twelve, to be specific, was the appointed-get-my-butt-home-by-then- time he had told me."

"I already feel sorry for you." Abby leaned over and patted his leg.

"So I didn't just run home- I vaulted home. When I got here, however, Gibbs had already gone and I started trying to call him. It went straight to voicemail, though, and I realized he'd shut the phone off to conduct the interrogation. I knew the interrogation was probably over by then, and that if anything, he would be on his way home himself. There was nothing to do but just wait for him."

Tony grimaced at the memory.

Abby drew her knees up under her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. "Uh oh..."

"Boss walked through the door about an hour later and I didn't even let him get his coat off before I started apologizing and explaining. I was just knocking myself out talking to him. He didn't answer me, though, and I kept speaking, racking my brain trying to say something to put things to rights. Finally I just ran out of steam, and I stood there, in the kitchen, out of breath. He had managed to perk an entire pot of coffee during my defense plea."

Tony rubbed his chin thoughtfully, recalling the scene.

"He poured himself a cup of coffee and leaned against the counter, waiting for me to get quiet, I guess. Anyway, I felt pretty awful and guilty, and the worst part of the whole incident was that horrible anticipation of waiting for his reaction. Remember when you were a kid and you cut up at the store, and your mom promised you'd get it when she got you home? I honestly think that he made me wait for a response to prolong my horrible suffering. Finally, though, he pointed to a chair and ordered me to sit down. Then he lowered the boom." Tony sucked in a breath.

"Don't stop there, Tony!"

"Well, the gist of the lecture turned out that since I had conducted myself like an irresponsible teenager, he would treat me as one. Therefore, he thought a time out while I contemplated what I should have done differently would certainly be apropos and do the trick."

Abby winced sympathetically.

"So, for the next week, the only times he allowed me out of this house were when we were physically at work. Otherwise, I stayed punished, on restriction, every single other moment. Please believe me, I nearly lost my mind. The only thing I had to while away the time was the television, which had no cable, which I mentioned to you earlier. Still, I was grateful for any small favours, and walked on eggshells lest I did something that would make Gibbs take the television away, too. Miserable comes to mind when I reminisce about my mental state then. I learned my lesson with that, all right."

He stood up and started gathering the empty popcorn bowl and their cocoa cups. "I'll clean the dishes, Baby Girl."

Nevertheless, she jumped up and followed, and they made their way to the kitchen. Gibbs had just climbed up the steps for more coffee when he saw them approach.

Tony whispered, "Maybe he'll decide the punishment's finished when he sees us getting along and will recant his earlier punishment and give us back the television."

"Act cooperative and sweet," Abby murmured in reply.

Gibbs looked up as they entered, and Abby smiled brightly. "We've been playing together nicely, Gibbs."

"I couldn't agree more, Boss, and I must say we now feel clear on what you meant about not fighting over the tv lineup. No longer do we entertain any ambiguity," Tony continued cheerfully.

"Really, there is nothing else to amuse us tonight other than the television," Abby spoke chirpily, then leaned over and hugged Gibbs. "We think we now understand how to select a program together to watch."

They held their breaths in anticipation, and then Gibbs leaned down and kissed Abby on the cheek. "Since that's the case, both of you go on and get to bed right now."

Horrified at the unexpected turn of events, the pair opened their mouths to loudly protest. He held up his hand, "If you say one word you will find that the television ban has spilled over until tomorrow night. The wise move to make is to keep your time out confined to just this one evening. Good night, both of you-"

Each gave him pouting expressions as their responses when they left the kitchen, and he couldn't hide a smile. Clearly they had hoped that he would agree to, not shoot down, their plan.

He watched them slowly make their way upstairs and shook his head. They were a handful, all right, but they were his handful.


End file.
